This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Hermetically sealed electric power terminals generally include air-tight feed-throughs for use in conjunction with hermetically sealed devices. The feed-through includes a metal housing to be mounted on the hermetically sealed device, and a plurality of conductive pins extending through the metal housing for conducting electric current. A sealing material is generally provided between the metal housing and the conductive pins to electrically insulate the conductive pins from the metal housing. In addition, the sealing material hermetically seals the conductive pins to the metal housing to prohibit air leakage into or from the hermetically sealed device.
A glass or polymer has been used as the sealing material in the feed-through to provide electric insulation and prevent gas permeation. The performance, cost or design flexibility of a glass or polymer, however, may not be preferred for all purposes or environments or operating conditions. For example,
some sealing materials may be used with a limited number of metals. Therefore the selection of metals for the conductive pins and housings is likewise limited.